Sensitivity of the Skin to Fluorescent Light

A new type of illumination produced by daylight fluorescent mazda lamps is coming into wide use, particularly in industry. In the development of a new source of light for general purposes, engineers are always concerned with confining the radiant energy emitted by the lamp within the wavelength range of natural sunlight. The glass tubing of the fluorescent lamp has a composition which absorbs all the energy of the shorter wavelengths than the short wave limit of sunlight. Nevertheless, dermatologists must be alert to the possibility of sensitivity to this type of lighting. I am reporting 2 cases to illustrate this fact. REPORT OF CASES Case 1.— A white woman aged 21, an employee of an electrical company, complained of a dermatitis of three weeks' duration involving her face, most evident on the eyelids. Her history from a dermatologic standpoint was normal. Routine patch tests gave negative results. The use of